Top 10 riders ever?

[Gcraenen]

I don't think Lance could have taken on Merkcx if they rode during the same period. This guy is named the cannibal after all

Lance wasn't good enough to pull off a Giro/Tour double or a Tour/Vuelta double. He's a joke compared to Eddy.

People here in the states dont seem to realize it, but you are absolutely right. Merckx rode in pain every second of every day since 1969, talk about mental toughness; and the way he finished, and won, the stage where he got punched in the liver, vomitting bile as he crossed the finish line, lets see Lance do that.

 

[sturmey-archer]

These great cyclists of past gone times, built up palmeras through racing every race going. Not just cherry picking the tdf, then scratching their ******** on the beach waiting for paychecks from nike etc. just sayin' like

 

[Gcraenen]

These great cyclists of past gone times, built up palmeras through racing every race going. Not just cherry picking the tdf, then scratching their ******** on the beach waiting for paychecks from nike etc. just sayin' like

A-1 debut post brother, not just saying like, saying it very well.

 

[Cobblestoned]

How great that Eddy has different opinion about that.
A1 for Eddy - as always

But yes, looking at the forum standard/rules thats an A1 for the archer.

 

[sturmey-archer]

Hey don't worry about me i'm only posting here whilst "Happy Nurses" downloads

 

[Apolitical]

I'll go with the it is never fair to compare different generations. Besides riders missing riding because of the wars, there were national team eras, eras when a rider could make more, or as much, money not riding the tour, the all-around era's, the semi-specialized era's, and now, the very specialized eras. Plus many other factors.

Looking at this list:
http://www.thevirtualmusette.com/
it is pretty heavy with riders who have ridden in the last 25 years. Even heavier with the 10 that are not ranked.

I should have also added that racing formats have changed. Even our friend paul sherwin was talking about a 10+ hour stage into Bourdeau during the TdF when he raced 30 years ago.

 

[ak-zaaf]

En geen Zoetemelk op jouw lijst? Het klopt, maar het verbaast me.

It's mainly 1976.
If he was truly a rider that could hold his own he should have won that one.

Zoetemelk was great, he had to compete against both Merckx and Hinault. Arguably the 2 greatest riders of all time. He still won a lot.
But if he was top-10 material in these kind of rankings Thevenet and Van Impe shouldn't have been a problem.

 

[Gcraenen]

It's mainly 1976.
If he was truly a rider that could hold his own he should have won that one.

Zoetemelk was great, he had to compete against both Merckx and Hinault. Arguably the 2 greatest riders of all time. He still won a lot.
But if he was top-10 material in these kind of rankings Thevenet and Van Impe shouldn't have been a problem.

I admire your impartiality. Nothing but respect from this prejudiced Fleming for both Zoetemelk and Raes. Great riders!!

 

[Fowsto Cope-E]

Well i guess i'll be that guy. . .

1. Coppi
2. Merckx

Of course, I've been debating with myself for years on which one was the better rider. I was kind of surprised to see most people put Hinault ahead of Coppi and some not even putting him in the top 5.

 

[Fowsto Cope-E]

Merckx
Lance
Indurain/Contador TIE!
Hinault
Coppi
Lemond
Jan Ullrich

thats all you need on this list

This is supposed to be a joke, right. . .

 

[Rb2112]

I've got to think a 3 week GT has got to have more clout than a monument. 3 weeks of stress, recovery, TT, climbing, position and luck has got to be worth more than a one day race. I love the one day races, but how many of the one day race winners can even compete in a GT? Vice versus, a lot of GT winners can compete and even win one day races/monuments.

 

[Dedelou]

Well i guess i'll be that guy. . .

1. Coppi
2. Merckx

Of course, I've been debating with myself for years on which one was the better rider. I was kind of surprised to see most people put Hinault ahead of Coppi and some not even putting him in the top 5.

In the absolute count of all important wins Hinault will always come second after Merckx and way above the rest. Coppi was perhaps one of the better riders but the tragedies affecting his career leaves him short in terms of wins. Now if we move away from using wins as the measure of what kind of riders were the best ever than we enter the realm of preferences and like colors or taste those thing are a matter of personal choice. Until somebody breaks the 10 GT wins , WC, all the monuments , Merckx and Hinault will remain above as 1st and 2nd with a huge margin between them and a good distance to the others.

 

[El Pistolero]

I've got to think a 3 week GT has got to have more clout than a monument. 3 weeks of stress, recovery, TT, climbing, position and luck has got to be worth more than a one day race. I love the one day races, but how many of the one day race winners can even compete in a GT? Vice versus, a lot of GT winners can compete and even win one day races/monuments.

I'd like to see one win the Ronde van Vlaanderen, Paris-Roubaix, Paris-Tours or Milan-Sanremo in this century.

They can win hilly classics, obviously, otherwise they wouldn't even be GC contenders in the first place.

 

[flicker]

I don't think Lance could have taken on Merkcx if they rode during the same period. This guy is named the cannibal after all

Lance wasn't good enough to pull off a Giro/Tour double or a Tour/Vuelta double. He's a joke compared to Eddy.

Eddy no one touches him as a champion. However Lances efficiency in the mountains in TTs and the high mountains would have strained Merckx.
I saw Merckx all over his bike in the tough bits and Lance was an efficient machine. The new style of cycling is more efficient than the Cannibals.

 

[pmcg76]

Eddy no one touches him as a champion. However Lances efficiency in the mountains in TTs and the high mountains would have strained Merckx.
I saw Merckx all over his bike in the tough bits and Lance was an efficient machine. The new style of cycling is more efficient than the Cannibals.

That is pure rubbish, stop comparing eras, Lance straining Merckx, put Lance riding what Merckx done and he wouldnt have been near him, make Lance ride what Indurain did and he wouldnt have won 7 Tours. Period.

 

[Echoes]

My top100 ranking 1891 - 1989:

1. Eddy Merckx 1009
2. Bernard Hinault 496
3. Fausto Coppi 478
4. Roger De Vlaeminck 473
5. Jacques Anquetil 472
6. Francesco Moser 442
7. Felice Gimondi 425
7. Rik Van Looy 425
9. Sean Kelly 409
10. Gino Bartali 408
11. Joop Zoetemelk 385
12. Raymond Poulidor 374
13. Louison Bobet 343
14. Freddy Maertens 321
15. Fiorenzo Magni 310
16. François Faber 300
17. Herman Van Springel 292
18. Giuseppe Saronni 290
19. Nicolas Frantz 273
20. Henri Pélissier 270
21. Rik Van Steenbergen 268
22. Costante Girardengo 266
23. Ferdi Kübler 265
24. Walter Godefroot 263
25. Alfredo Binda 259
26. Hennie Kuiper 256
27. Franco Bitossi 251
27. Jan Janssen 251
29. Raymond Impanis 238
30. Frans Verbeeck 234
31. Gustave Garrigou 231
32. Jan Raas 222
33. Jean Alavoine 217
34. Louis Trousselier 213
35. Claudy Criquelion 212
36. Eugène Christophe 206
36. Charly Gaul 206
38. Greg LeMond 204
39. Emile Georget 203
42. André Leducq 201
42. Lucien Van Impe 201
42. Louis Mottiat 201
43. Stan Ockers 200
44. Stephen Roche 198
45. Brik Schotte 197
46. Philippe Thys 193
47. Antonin Magne 192
48. Frans Bonduel 190
49. Phil Anderson 188
50. Laurent Fignon 187
50. Lucien Petit-Breton 187
52. Gianbattista Baronchelli 184
53. Vittorio Adorni 183
54. Fred De Bruyne 179
55. Hugo Koblet 176
56. Learco Guerra 173
57. Wladimiro Panizza 170
57. Cyrille Van Hauwaert 170
59. Pedro Delgado 169
60. Luis Ocaña 160
61. Rudi Altig 159
61. Gaston Rebry 159
63. Charly Mottet 158
63. Adri Van der Poel 158
65. Bernard Thévenet 156
66. Hyppolite Aucouturier 155
66. Octave Lapize 155
68. André Darrigade 154
69. Félix Sellier 151
69. Italo Zilioli 151
71. Nino Defilippis 150
71. Jef Planckaert 150
71. Giovanni Brunero 150
74. Michele Dancelli 149
75. Patrick Sercu 148
76. Miguel Poblet 147
77. Gaetano Belloni 146
77. Maurice Garin 146
79. Maurice Dewaele 144
80. Marino Lejarreta 143
81. Sylvère Maes 142
82. Maurice Archambaud 140
82. Gastone Nencini 140
82. Heiri Suter 140
85. Ludo Peeters 136
86. Dietrich Thurau 135
87. Gianni Motta 134
88. Georges Ronsse 131
89. Michel Pollentier 132
90. Tom Simpson 130
91. Francis Pélissier 129
92. Gerrie Knetemann 128
92. Eric Vanderaerden 128
94. Raphaël Geminiani 127
94. Jean Aerts 127
94. Steven Rooks 127
97. Georges Speicher 125
98. Fons De Wolf 124
99. Marcel Kint 123
100. Charles Crupelandt 122
100. André Dierickx 122
100. Andy Hampsten 122

 

[Escarabajo]

Eddy no one touches him as a champion. However Lances efficiency in the mountains in TTs and the high mountains would have strained Merckx.
I saw Merckx all over his bike in the tough bits and Lance was an efficient machine. The new style of cycling is more efficient than the Cannibals.

Let's feed them the same thing!

 

[Fowsto Cope-E]

In the absolute count of all important wins Hinault will always come second after Merckx and way above the rest. Coppi was perhaps one of the better riders but the tragedies affecting his career leaves him short in terms of wins. Now if we move away from using wins as the measure of what kind of riders were the best ever than we enter the realm of preferences and like colors or taste those thing are a matter of personal choice. Until somebody breaks the 10 GT wins , WC, all the monuments , Merckx and Hinault will remain above as 1st and 2nd with a huge margin between them and a good distance to the others.

Yeah, but Hinault never won all of the Monuments; he never won de Ronde or Sanremo. Coppi actually has more Monument wins than Hinault 9 to 5.

 

[Gcraenen]

I've got to think a 3 week GT has got to have more clout than a monument. 3 weeks of stress, recovery, TT, climbing, position and luck has got to be worth more than a one day race. I love the one day races, but how many of the one day race winners can even compete in a GT? Vice versus, a lot of GT winners can compete and even win one day races/monuments.

That's why we gave 2 points for a GT win and 1 point for a monument/PT/WC win.

 

[Gcraenen]

1. Merckx - 44
2. Hinault - 24
Coppi - 24
4. Binda - 19
5. Anquetil - 17
6. Bartali - 16
7. Gimondo - 15
Armstrong - 15
9. Indurain - 14
10. Van Looy - 12
De Vlaeminck - 12

Well Fawsto, are you happy with this tie for second?

 

[El Pistolero]

Wasn't there a time that the Giro was just as important as the Tour by the way? I remember reading that somewhere.

 

[Gcraenen]

Wasn't there a time that the Giro was just as important as the Tour by the way? I remember reading that somewhere.

I agree, that's why I gave equal points to all three grand tours.

 

[Gcraenen]

Echoes, that seems like a reasonable list. What poiint system are you using?

 

[Fowsto Cope-E]

Well Fawsto, are you happy with this tie for second?

By your system, shouldn't Hinault have 26? 10 GTs, 5 monuments, and a WC

 

[Gcraenen]

By your system, shouldn't Hinault have 26? 10 GTs, 5 monuments, and a WC

10 GT's? which one did I miss?